Drive-chain.



no. 657,526. Patented Sept. |l, moo.

c. E. DURYEA.

DRIVE CHAIN:

(Appiication flla d Nov. 92, 1899.)

m5 Model.)

m: udnms FEIERS w vuovuuma. wAsmumou. 0.1.:

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES E. DURYEA, .OF PEORIA, ILLI NOIS.

DRIVE-CHAIN.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent N0. 657,526, dated September 11, 1900.

Application filed November 22, 1&9. Serial No. 737,841. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES E. DURYEA, a citizen of the United States,resi ling at Peoria, in the county of Peoria and State of Illinois,

have invented certain new and useful 1m provements in Drive-Chains and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descriptionof the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. i 7

My invention relates to that class of drivechains consisting of thin side links held together by rivets pivoted in bearings provided in connecting-blocks; and the objects of my invention are to secure light weight, long life, easy and noiseless operation, and other minor objects, such as will be brought out in the following specification.

In the accompanying sheet of drawings, forming part of this specification, Figure 1 is a plan view of a portion of a completed chain. Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation through the center of the chain.

Similar letters refer to similar parts in both .Views.

The general design of this chain is common to first-class bicycle and other chains, and consists of thin side pieces D D, commonly stamped from sheetmetal of suitable thickness and quality and connected by pivots E E. These pivots are provided with an enlarged bearing portion lying between the side links D D and serving to fix the distance between said links. It is customary to rivet or otherwise fasten these pivots E E firmly into the links D D, so that no movement, with consequent wearing, occurs between the two, thus causing all movement between the respective chain parts to take place between the bearing-surface of pivot E and its corresponding surface in the bearing-block. This bearingblock is of suitable shape to fit sprocket-teeth and is provided at each end with pivot-holes through which the pivots E E pass and in each case receive a suitable journal-bearing. I provide in this block a more or less cylindrical opening passing nearly or quite through it in a direction transverse to the axes of the pivot-holes, and this opening is of a greater diameter than the distance between said pivot-holes and is placed midway between them, so that it intersects both pivot-holes slightly. This chamber is likewise placed midway of the block with respect to its sides,

and sufiicient metal for carrying the strain to which the chain maybe subjected is left at the sides of the block. This chamber may not pass completely through the block, but it is preferable to construct it as shownin the drawings. These figures indicate a cylindrical hole B, formed by an ordinary drill with angular point, but not carried full size completely through the block. Such an opening serves as a chamber for absorbent filling O, which can be inserted in the chamber, but cannot be pushed through it, because the chamber is not full size throughout.

It is my practice to place the blocks so that the large open end of the chamber is next the face of the sprocket-wheel, and the filling 0 projects more or less therefrom and serves to lessen the metallic click commonly found in chains as they run .on metallic wheels, and also reduces the vibrations and resonance of the chain parts themselves. This filling is saturated with oil or any preferred lubricant, which it feeds to the pivots E E at the points of intersection B B of the chamber with the pivot holes and also to the face of the sprocket-wheels.

By having an opening, although small, on eaclf face of the block lubricant may be introduced into the filling from either side of the chain being on a sprocket or in similar inaccessible position.

It will be readily seen that the contracted end of the chamber prevents accidental displacement of the filling C due to dirt or similar obstructions getting between the block and the face of the sprocket. It will also be seen that the absorbent filling serves as a filter for the lubricant, which is fed to the pivots E E at their centers in a regular manner and in good condition. From there it works naturally outward toward their ends and tends to carry grit and dirt out of the bearings instead of in the reverse direction, as occurs with chains of similar design as now used. The absorbent substance being more orless elastic has no tendency to fall out of the end of the holes. The outer end is partly elesedihebause any Gil-ten the sprocket-face wohld-btlierwise ffiie the Eli-b stance 0 out of the hole outward. It will also be readily seen that a largeehamber passing through the chainblocks makes them lighter and permits them to benha'rdened more evenly than is ijos'siljl'i'vitii ihiii portions outside the pivot-holes and a thick solid body between them. here may be used, if preferred.

Having thus c1aim i i 1. In a drive-chain link, va bealiinghloelg,

liaving pivot-holes inofipos iteends thereof, L a cylindrical chamber between said holes 7 trans erse iihieto arid (if larger dialfie t-l" v thaii their (listaijee apart and an" 'abhihiit filling for said eham'ber.

2. In wave-chainsnarin tleeiaiiaviiig manual cylindrical e amber afid van *1 pivot holes na sv 'rseiyaiin drapeimly iii tersecting same and an absorbent fillingfoisaid chamber.

3. In a drive ehain abearingmloek"having l Multiple GER-m1;

'deserihed my invention, 1

etmae v a 09am-1- openi'ii-g 'circ'ular'in' cross-section miieenmewa n1 'arez'l' at one eiid,=filled with an absorbentmaterial and intersected on oppositesides by transverse pivot-holes.

a chamber open at t-he vertical bearingdaee 'ai'i djfa"noise red'ii ing 'niaiaerial filling said hamber. w 7' v I 5: ii drive-chain abearing-block having aichamber open at the vertical bearing-face, an absorbent noise-reducing material filling iii said and transverse fii'vohholes iijte'rs'ectingsame.

votg holes an [acylindrical the bile 'end reduce substan- 31h fies mo'nyyvih rear I max m inpiessn-ee (if two winmsses a CHARLES E. DUBYEA.

FLJoHNsoN; v

- 4; In adriVe-ehain a bearing-block having.

6Q A 'd"i\'*e-"ehainhearing block having 7 signatiire 

